To many, Tuscany represents the quintessence of Italy. It is the region most celebrated by artists and poets, the source of the Italian language, and the birthplace of the Renaissance. Cultivated for millennia, the Tuscan landscape achieves a blend of nature and urbanity that is truly unique. Seen from a distance, the hill towns of San Gimignano, Montalcino, or Volterra appear to be Renaissance paintings somehow come to life. Tuscany"s major cities are also startlingly well-preserved, and in Siena, Pisa, Lucca, and Florence, a visitor can raise her eyes above street level and imagine herself in the "Quattrocento" The extraordinary images compiled in this volume describe Tuscany"s great works of art and her breathtaking harmonies of nature- the sea and the mountains, the hills and hill towns, the olive and cypress trees-that appear at times to be figments of our imaginations, such is their remarkable beauty. The accompanying essay on the history, art, and folklore of the region brings a touch of reality to the magic, and provides a portrait of a living land in which time has not stood still, but one in which the past has always been treated with respect and love.